The presentation that most closely resembled what I’d expected to see was Michael Ford’s way-out ideas about hip-hop architecture and design. His ideas were thematically coherent (e.g., his definition of hip-hop culture involves always repurposing some existing work) but his ideas were adventurous and provocative—from mobile audio-visual booths (like photobooths) that would allow rap battles between participants all over the world, to classic furniture designs incorporating designs and fabrics from hip-hop clothing fashion, to a multi-purpose living space that incorporated book shelves and skateboarding and walls for graffitti, those walls also incorporating a peg system on which a skateboard could be attached to become a study chair (I-kid-you-not).

Twenty slides. Twenty seconds each. Pecha Kucha Night crosses the corporate PowerPoint presentation with speed dating. Each presenter displays 20 slides for 20 seconds each; you get six minutes and 40 seconds to perk interest. The international phenomenon was developed in 2003 by two Tokyo-based architects. The event provides a forum for creatives to meet, network and showcase their work. Through word of mouth and the Internet, Pecha Kucha (which refers to the sound of conversation in Japanese and is pronounced “peh-chak-cha”) has spread virally to 132 cities worldwide. Detroit jumped aboard last fall. The quarterly event is organized by the Emerging Professionals Committee of the American Institute of Architects Detroit chapter and Detroit Synergy, a nonprofit group that organizes events to promote the city. Detroit Make it Here is the official media sponsor. Organizers select 12 compelling presenters, usually from creative fields such as design, architecture, photography and art.